ModernDay Moses
by KasumiSatoshi
Summary: Chapter Epilouge up! Ash and Misty have to defeat Team Rocket. But one person won't let them do it the easy way. And what's his connection to the resistance? Rated for swearing and a few mature scenes.
1. Chapter 1

Modern-Day Moses

By KasumiSatoshi

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Pokémon characters, nor the rights to say that they are mine. I only own the gameboy games, some plushies, quite a few of the cards (I think it's over 1,000 cards by now, without repeats), a majority of the videos, six of the CD's, about 30 of the books, a computer card-game, some of the comics, and I only have a few dollars, so it's useless to try and sue me. I do own the plot to this story.

P.S.: This is sort of an A/U story. I have a sort of prequel in the works too. I'll get it posted sometime. Also, I started this story before I knew much about the Hoenn Region and the characters, like Drew, and as such I won't include them unless they are Gym Leaders, Elite Trainers or Champions from the Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald games. The chapters which do include direct Hoenn episode references were rewritten after I had seen those episodes, since I had mostly written the first ten chapters during the last month or so of Master Quest and the first few months of Advanced.

* * *

Chapter 1

The Sad Goodbye

* * *

Misty woke up before sunrise. She left Ash's room and went outside, finding a place to sit on the front porch, facing the sunrise. Ash woke up and noticed that Misty was gone, and thought she was probably outside. He went out to the porch and sat down next to her. Today she had to leave to go home. Brock had to go home too; his father needed help with his ten younger brothers and sisters, as well as the Gym. Ash was going to Hoenn with Gary, and from there they would go in different directions.

* * *

Two hours later…

Mrs. Ketchum was fixing breakfast in the kitchen. She looked out the window and saw her son and Misty sitting together, with his arms around the red-haired girl. She smiled at the two, knowing how hard it is to have to leave a friend behind. Pikachu and Togepi came running into the kitchen, playing tag. They stopped as soon as they smelled breakfast, and Togepi's stomach rumbled. Mrs. Ketchum had a plate of food sitting on the counter, so she put it on the floor for the two Pokémon to eat.

Ash and Misty came into the kitchen, and sat down at the table, next to each other. The red-haired girl was quiet today, and Mrs. Ketchum noticed this. She didn't say a word though, because she knew Misty was upset about having to go home. Brock came into the kitchen, and put breakfast on the table. Ash ate as usual, and so did Brock, but Misty just picked at the food. Pikachu and Togepi jumped onto the table. Both of the Pokémon tried to cheer Misty up. It didn't work.

"Mist, come with me." Ash said to Misty. They walked over to Professor Oak's lab. When they went in, Tracy greeted them. The three went upstairs to see the professor. Professor Oak was talking to Professor Ivy. There was a Poké Ball sitting in the machine that transported Pocket Monsters between the professor and other people, like Ash, Gary, various PokéCenters, and Professors Ivy, Elm, Birch, and Hale. Professor Oak turned around and was glad to see Ash.

"Well Ash, you made it in time. Professor Ivy has sent over a Pokémon that seems to be glad to see you." He took the Poké Ball from the machine and gave it to Ash. Ash was surprised. He didn't think that Lapras was in the Poké Ball, but he couldn't wait to see if she was.

"Come on out!" Ash threw the Poké Ball and it opened up. Out came Lapras. When Lapras saw Ash, she was glad and nuzzled him. Ash couldn't believe it–Lapras remembered him!

"Lapras missed you. I guess she wants to travel with you." Tracy said. He didn't know that Lapras were not normally found in Hoenn.

"Hey Lapras." Misty walked up to Lapras and started to pet her. The Water/Ice combination Pocket Monster looked at Misty and cried happily. Misty smiled.

"Um, Professor, Lapras aren't normally found in Hoenn. " Ash was confused about taking Lapras. "Besides, I'm starting over with Pikachu and only using the Pokémon I capture in the Hoenn Region.

"Professor Ivy said that Lapras would be better off with either you or Misty." Professor Oak had been told by Gary that Misty wouldn't be going to Hoenn, so he thought that this would be the best time to give Lapras back to Ash, thinking that Ash would let Misty take care of her.

"Thanks Professor!" Ash recalled Lapras, and he left the lab with Misty. As they walked away, Ash had his arm around Misty.

* * *

The next day...

Misty put the last of her belongings into her backpack. She left out her presents for Ash and Brock on the bed. As she looked out the window, she saw what looked like a Legendary Pokémon, much like the one that Ash and her saw five years ago after just meeting him at the beginning of their journeys. There was a rainbow forming behind it, and it was beautiful.

Ash saw the same thing while he was sitting on the porch. He looked up as Misty walked out the door. She saw that he was wearing different clothes, but his hat and blue over-shirt were folded neatly in a pile next to him. Ash grabbed his backpack and the pile of clothes, and took Misty's hand. They walked to the edge of town together in silence, not wanting to say anything that would disturb the peacefulness of the moment. Brock was waiting there for them, and he had a present each for Ash and Misty.

Brock gave his presents to Ash and Misty first. Ash got an army mess kit and some Pokémon food pellets for his Pokémon. Misty had also gotten some Pokémon food pellets that Brock had made especially for Togepi and her water Pokémon. Ash and Misty gave Brock his presents: a recipe book and a new apron. Brock and Ash gave each other high fives, and Misty gave Brock a quick hug.

"See ya Ash! See ya Misty!" he called as he waved goodbye.

"Ash, here's your present." Misty blushed a little when she gave him the present. It was wrapped in one of her handkerchiefs. There was a PokéGear and a PokéNav.

"Thanks Misty." Ash was glad that he had something to remind him of Misty, and also to keep in touch with her. Misty explained how the PokéGear and PokéNav worked.

Ash gave Misty his over-shirt and hat. Misty was surprised. "Why are you giving me your league cap and over-shirt?"

"Mist, you've wanted the hat, and you can be reminded of me when you wear the over-shirt and cap. And there is something wrapped inside the over-shirt, so be careful with it." The raven-haired boy smiled and walked over to a nearby bush and pulled out an orange bike. The wheels were a little bent, but the bicycle could still work.

Ash put the kickstand down to support the bike, then looked over to the red-haired girl. His grin widened, seeing the expression on Misty's face. He walked over to her and put his arms around Misty and held her close. "You've got your bike back so you can get home quickly, not that I'm telling you to leave. I'm gonna miss you." He whispered in her ear.

"Thanks, and I'll miss you too Ash." Misty and Ash hugged, then kissed each other good-bye (Ash kissed her on the forehead, Misty kissed him on the cheek). Both of them had tears in their eyes. "I guess I'll see ya when my sisters get back. Bye!" They let go of each other, and went their separate ways.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Missing Her/Him

* * *

Four months after the beginning of the Pokémon Advanced season…

This is fun Torchic! A yellow rodent squealed.

Yeah Pikachu! The yellow rodent and an orange bird were playing tag. In the tree nearby, a green gecko and a mainly black swallow were talking while watching the scenery. Near the fire, Brock was cooking supper. A girl, with brown hair and a red and white patterned bandana holding it in place, was setting up a makeshift table.

"Hey, where's Ash? It's not like him to miss a meal." The brown haired girl said, frowning.

"I dunno. I'll go find him. Supper's done anyway." Brock started to leave, then turned around to talk to the girl. "May, if you see Ash, tell him I'm looking for something, like berries or wild vegetables." He then left to find Ash.

* * *

Ash was sitting near a river. The river flowed slowly, yet smoothly. In his hands, he had a mostly pink handkerchief, with the initials _M.E.W._ neatly embroidered in a pretty blue; a note written in neat handwriting, and a picture of a skinny girl with red hair, pulled up on her left in a side ponytail, smiling sweetly. Ash was looking at the picture, tears in the corner of his eyes. He then unfolded the note and read it to himself for the umpteenth time.

_Ashton Samuel Ketchum_

_a.k.a. Ashy,_

_Hey, I know that you'll be upset and probably gonna miss me when I've gone home. It was nice to get my bike back, but that wasn't the real reason I've followed you all these years. You, of all people, should know why. I had started my journey alone, and ended up meeting you and Brock. If I hadn't, I probably would not have gotten most of my Pokémon, especially Togepi. I also wouldn't have gone to all the exciting places and meet new people and Pokémon, especially the legendary ones. And I wouldn't have gotten to have known you better than I did before. Thanks for the hat, jacket, note, and especially for Lapras. Maybe we'll meet up again someday, and catch up on everything that's happened._

_Love ya lots & lots,_

_Mistara Elizabeth Williams_

_a.k.a Mist_

Ash smiled at the last lines, and how she had signed the note. He'd been sad since the parting, and Brock and May knew only part of the reason. Ash was glad that they didn't ask though, because he'd have a hard time telling them why he really missed her. "Yeah. Someday I'll tell you how I feel about you, and then you'll know how much I've missed ya." Ash whispered out loud.

"Hey Ash, you thinking again?" Brock startled Ash. Ash looked up and saw his older friend come towards him. He wiped the tears with the handkerchief, and then he shoved the objects he was holding in his jacket pocket. Brock sat down next to him. "You still miss her, don't ya?"

"Yeah." Under his breath he added, "More than you'll ever know." He hoped Brock didn't hear.

"Maybe you'll see Misty at the Hoenn Championship Tournaments. She said that she'd be there, didn't she?"

"Yeah, I hope so. When you travel with someone you've known forever for five years, you become really good friends with them. We saw many Legendary Pokémon together, and had lots of fun times, even though we fought a lot." Ash's voice started to sound like he was going to cry. In fact, he did shed a few tears. Brock did see them, but didn't say anything.

"How about we go eat? Supper's done, and you'll love it. It's your favorite." Brock and Ash got up and went to the camp.

* * *

Meanwhile…

"Hey there runt. How are the battles going?" Daisy was on one end of the phone. She had called Misty to talk for a while about what was going on. The red-headed girl was wearing a light-blue sundress, and her hair was down and wet, since she had just gotten out of the pool.

"Great. I'm still undefeated." Misty was glad to tell her sisters, but her voice was quiet, and her eyes were red, as if she'd been crying.

"Misty, are you still upset about having to look after the Gym and not traveling with Ash?" Daisy's question hit hard on the red-haired girl.

"Yeah. We had fun times during those five years." Misty started to get a dreamy look in her eyes as she thought about the fun times she had with Ash, Brock, and Tracey.

"Earth to Mistara!" A snapping sound was heard. Daisy got Misty's attention back to the conversation. "You can close the Gym for a while and go for a visit if you want."

"That wouldn't be right Lillian. What if people wanted to battle for a Cascade Badge?" Misty knew the Gym couldn't close. It would be hard to get it running again, especially for her. She had almost flunked the inspection.

"We know it would be hard to get it running. But it would be worth it because you'd be with Ash, and we know that would make you happy."

"How do you know?" Misty hoped her sisters hadn't found out why she was happier with Ash.

"Well, you and Ash have known each other for years, and I know you consider Ash and Brock to be like brothers to you. You get what I mean?"

"Yeah. I get it." Misty was surprised at what Daisy said. "But how did you figure that out?"

"It's easy Misty. You traveled with them for so long, I know you're still having a hard time getting used to staying in one place. And you always seem to have something on your mind, probably remembering the fun times you had with Ash and them."

"Yeah. You still know how to read my mind, don't you Daisy?"

"Well, when you came here when you were eight, I had to raise you. You wouldn't respond to Daisy or Violet. I guess the only reason why is because I looked like Mama did before she died.

Daisy interrupted Misty's thoughts. "So far our trip has been great. We'll be coming back in less than a month, so get your bags ready."

"_What?_" Misty was surprised. "But you said it would be longer than a year. It's only been five months."

"Well, plans have changed. I've talked to Lily and Violet, and we decided that you should be traveling with Ash. That's what makes you happy, and we thought you should be happy. Not miserable."

"That's nice, but you should finish the trip. You guys deserved it."

"Even the Captain and passengers are getting tired. We've pretty much been everywhere."

"Well, see ya in a month then." The link was cut. Misty went to her room. She picked up Togepi and started to think about what to pack. Togepi noticed that her mommy was quiet. She jumped down and started to do the same dance she had learned from Bailey's two Bellossom, Belle and Bella. "Togepi, you always know how to cheer me up, don't ya?" Misty picked up the baby Pokémon and hugged her. "Let's get packing!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Surprise Meeting

* * *

Two months later… 

"C'mon! There's another Badge waiting for me!" Ash broke into a run. He couldn't wait until he got to Fortree City. They had just come out of Mauville City and reached Route 119. All of a sudden, it flashed and thundered violently. Then the downpour started.

"Let's take cover, quick!" Brock had to shout to be heard above the thunder and rain. They found a cave nearby and went in. Ash tripped over something and fell on his face, anime style. Pikachu had jumped down from his perch on the boy's shoulder's to avoid getting hurt in the process.

"Oww! What was that?" He looked in his bag for a flashlight, and then he turned it on after he fished it out. "What's this doing here?" A blue drawstring backpack was on the floor.

"That's my bag, Ash Ketchum." A familiar voice answered. Another light was on, but farther back in the cave. The light moved closer, and out of the shadows popped a familiar red-head, holding a Togepi. She was wearing a new outfit: a light-blue t-shirt that fit closely to her figure; dark-blue jeans that flared and had pink and red flames at the bottom; a light-pink belt that held her Poké Balls; and her hair was down, but a few strands were held in place by a couple of barrettes.

"Mistara! Oh my god, it's you! I can't believe it!" Ash flashed a grin, and then ran over to Misty. He almost knocked her over and just about squished poor Togepi until she wiggled out of the two teens' hug. They both whispered "I missed you's" in the others' ear at the same time. Brock smiled, and May was completely surprised. She never knew Ash could be like this, especially since he had been quiet most of the time. Misty and Ash finally let go of each other.

"Yes, it's me. I thought that you'd be farther along than this." The red-haired girl said. Misty was glad that she had quickly joined Ash after she had come to Hoenn.

"Well, it took me forever to beat the Mauville Gym Leader, and then later we had to backtrack to Petalburg for a rematch." Ash grinned. He was glad to have his best human friend traveling with him again.

_Flash_ **_Boom!_**

"Ahh!" Misty shrieked and ducked her head as the thunder boomed. Ash grabbed Misty instinctively and put his arms around her waist. Everyone else just flinched. She looked around the place nervously. "I've never seen such a storm since the Orange Islands."

"It's okay Mist, just calm down." Ash kept hold of Misty. Misty just looked at Ash, surprised at how he was treating her in front of the others.

"I guess it looks like we're staying here guys, at least until the storm is over." Brock started to unpack. "Hey Misty, did you get any firewood before the storm?"

"Yeah, and some water to put out the fire. I thought ahead. Someone told me back at Slateport that storms like this out here stay for a while, so I decided to get everything before I got stuck in here."

"Wow! Do you always think ahead about things like this?" May finally piped up.

"Yeah. I used to travel with Ash, that is, before my sisters needed me to run the Gym while they took a trip. He can be very forgetful most of the time. What's your name?"

"May. And yours?" May smiled. 'This girl isn't as bad as I thought. Ash must really like Misty to be friends with her. She doesn't seem as scary as Ash says she can be.'

"Misty. Pleased to meet ya." Misty put out her hand, and May shook it.

"Same here."

"I guess that Mist is glad to have another girl to hang with. She really doesn't belong with us guys, right Brocko?" Ash flinched, hoping that he wouldn't get the Legendary Misty Mallet, which he called a Weapon of Mass Destruction.

"No mallet today Ash. I don't really feel like getting it out. Maybe tomorrow." Misty winked.

"But, what if I don't do anything wrong tomorrow? That wouldn't be fair!" Ash started to whine.

"You've done plenty of things wrong it the past Ash. That would make it fair." She stuck out her tongue at him.

"Oh, geeze." Ash stuck his tongue out at her.

Brock was laughing. "If you guys are gonna stick out your tongues, than why don't you two just French kiss?" Big mistake.

"Not funny!" _**Wham**_ Misty swung her mallet and hit Brock square on the head. He was missing a few teeth from that blow. "That's just gross! Yuck!"

"That's not what it looked like a few minutes ago. And before you had to go home to Cerulean, I saw something that tells me otherwise."

"What about Professor Ivy?" The older teen flinched.

"Okay. I'll just get supper ready." Brock got busy with a fire and cooking supper. Ash, Misty, and May put out sleeping bags, since it was late in the afternoon. They also set up the low laying table. "Supper's ready!" Everyone got some food and sat down to eat. Ash and Misty sat beside each other, and they talked about everything that happened since the parting, just like Misty had promised.

"Cool! So you're still undefeated at the Gym, huh?" Ash's voice was slightly muffled by the food, but it was still intelligible. But this time, it was different. He wasn't rushing through the meal like he had always done, and there wasn't a whole mouthful of food that was usually there.

"Yeah, it's hard to keep such a record. I had to get more badges, and with Sakura's help we made a whole bunch. When we battled, I lost to her Espeon with my Corsola. Casey helped with a mystery crush who wanted me to go out on a date with him to see the Electabuzzes and the Cerulean Starmies play a game. She ended up going with him to the game."

"Cool." Ash grinned before he looked at his plate of food. The trainers continued to talk as they ate.


	4. Chapter 4

I have been sooooo busy and unable to get to a internet-linked computer (plus the two noreasters we had two Mondays in a row, just lovely), so to make it up to all of you who have been reading this, I am going to put up chapters 4-10 to make up for the long wait. Hopefully nobody will get mad with me!

* * *

Chapter 4  
A Little Fun In The Woods

* * *

A few hours later…

"Let's go outside Mist. The storm has stopped."

"Okay Ash." Misty grabbed the overcoat Ash had given her, and put it on. Ash smiled, pleased that she still had it with her and used it. They left the cave and walked around, hand in hand. They came to a river, and Misty stopped. "Where does this river go?"

"If you follow it south, you end up near Mauville. If you go north, I dunno."

"Well, we can follow it in the morning."

"Yeah, and north is also where Fortree is. That's where the next Gym is, and my next Badge!"

"Ash, is that _all_ you think about? Pokémon and Badges?"

"No. I think about other things…and people." Ash grinned sheepishly.

"Well, can _I_ know?"

"Umm…No!"

"Ashton Samuel Ketchum, you are impossible to be with!" She smacked him playfully on the shoulder.

"Then why did you come back, Mistara Elizabeth Williams?"

"I have my reasons." Misty grew quiet.

"Well let's see…either 'cause you like Brock or me, or you like to travel with people. A or B?"

"Both. And you ain't gonna know who 'cause I ain't telling." Misty stuck out her tongue.

"Keep your tongue in your mouth. I don't French long distance, ya know." He smacked her back, lightly, then stuck out his tongue.

"Who said that's what I meant."

"Well, Brock suggested it back at camp."

"Yeah, well he's bright." Misty paused, then continued. "How long have we've traveled together?"

Ash smiled. "I can't believe that it's been about three and a half years since our traveling began."

"Yeah, time sure does fly when you're having fun, huh?"

Ash's grin grew even wider. "Yup. It seems like only yesterday that you pulled me outta the river."

"I thought that I caught a big one that day. What a catch that turned out to be? One of my old friends, who is one of my best buds." Misty laughed. "I have the greatest luck in the world!"

"Hey Mist, There's one thing I want to tell you, now that you're here."

"What is it Ash?"

"Well, I…I really missed ya while you were gone, and I'm glad you're back." Ash blushed a little. He hoped Misty didn't notice.

"Me too. I missed traveling with ya. Seeing new places, meeting new people and Pokémon, even the Legendaries." Misty blushed too.

Next thing she knew, Ash had tackled her lightly. She was caught off guard. Down on the ground she went. Ash was on top of Misty. He grabbed her arms with one hand, and pinned her down. He then started to tickle her.

"Ash…Cut…it…out!…That…tickles!" Misty almost couldn't speak. She was laughing uncontrollably.

"Why? Just so you can get back at me? No way!" He kept her pinned down. Then, without realizing it, he leaned closer to her, and they kissed. Misty was surprised when they broke the kiss. She then started to blush, badly. Ash was just as surprised. "I…I dunno where that came from." He was blushing also. They stayed like that for a while, and then they kissed again, more passionately this time. This time neither blushed. Ash got up and helped Misty to her feet. "Let's go back. They're probably worried and wondering where we are." Ash took Misty's hand as they walked back to camp. Both let go when they got near the cave.

"Where were you? You were gone for so long, we thought the boogey-man had gotten ya." Brock was a little angry at their lateness, but was teasing the two younger teens. 'I wonder what they did. Must have been something that they don't want May or me to know.'

"We just were talking. We walked to a nearby river. Why the third degree?" Ash wasn't in the mood for a conversation with Brock.

"Just wondering. You never did this before."

"Well, we haven't seen each other for a long time, and we were trying to catch up on what's happened. What's so wrong with that?" Misty spoke up for Ash.

Brock held his hands up. "Sorry." He headed to his sleeping bag. "It's time we got to bed." He crawled in and promptly fell asleep. May was already asleep.

"G'Night, _Ashy-Washy_." Misty said.

"G'Night, _Misty-Wisty_." They fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The New Champion

* * *

Four months later…

"It all comes down to this folks, the last round in this exciting match. Charizard vs. Dragonite. Who will win? Both are powerful dragons, and are equally matched in abilities." The announcer's voice blared over the loudspeakers. The entire crowd was excited. This was the first time in about a decade that the Champion was on the verge of being defeated.

A boy with short, black, spiky hair was in the stadium's arena, off to one side. His hat and sweater were on the ground, forgotten at the moment. He was battling the Champion, Lance, who was the most powerful Dragon Trainer in all of the Pokémon world. It had been a very close match so far, with one Pokémon of either trainer fainting after each round.

"Dragonite, Hyper Beam!" Lance ordered his Pokémon. The big, orange dragon gathered energy, and aimed himself towards Charizard. As the energy was unleashed, the smaller, red-orange, winged lizard took off into the sky. The Hyper Beam attack missed the lizard.

"Charizard, use Fire Blast!" The raven-haired boy called out to his Pokémon. The Fire Blast attack worked against the dragon, but it wasn't effective enough to cause much damage.

"Okay Dragonite, Thunder!" The sky above the stadium grew dark as Dragonite aimed some electricity into the clouds above. You could hear rumbles caused by the occasional cloud to cloud lightning bolts. One lightning bolt came down and struck the red-orange lizard, who was completely sitting on the ground. He was used to Electric attacks and knew how to direct the current into the ground.

"I knew that was coming for a long time Lance. Now, get ready for an unbeatable combination. Charizard, Flaming Seismic Toss!" The red-orange lizard picked up Dragonite and flew up into the sky. He started the familiar rotational movement, and let out a Fire Spin attack to cover himself and the Dragonite. They soon looked like a flaming ring suspended in the air. The movement stopped, and the flaming object went plunging towards the ground. A big cloud of dust and debris filled the air on impact. It took a long while to settle.

"How can any Pokémon survive that attack folks? We'll just see how much damage was caused." The announcer said over the loudspeakers.

The dust cloud finally settled, and Charizard was the only Pokémon standing. The crowd was cheering and celebrating.

"Dragonite is unable to battle! Charizard wins the match! The winner of this battle is Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." The official held a red flag up, which corresponded to the black-haired boy. He was standing, but was shocked and didn't move. His Pikachu, an electric rodent, jumped onto his shoulder, but that didn't get Ash's attention. _He_ had just won the match? _He_ was the new Champion?

"Ash! Ash, you did it!" Ash turned around. A girl about his age was running up to him. Her red-orange hair was down and flying behind her. He smiled. His best human friend, Misty, was coming to congratulate him on his victory. She was wearing a blue button-up blouse and a purple knee-length skirt that slightly flared.

Ash bent over to pick up his hat and over shirt and put them on. "Hey Mist!" Ash picked up Misty and swung her around while hugging. They shared a quick, but passionate, kiss. Ash then let Misty down, and they left the field, hand in hand, to find the others.

* * *

"Where's Misty? I haven't seen her all night." Sakura asked Duplica and May. She looked around to try and find the red-haired girl that she was talking about.

"Well, she went inside before you showed up. She said something about too many people, too much noise, music too loud, and that she had a headache." May looked over to Ash, who was talking to some of the other boys. She smiled and shook her head. "Ash looks so different without Misty around him."

Duplica nodded. "Yeah. Usually, if you see one, the other isn't too far away. And every time we ask them if something special is going on between them, the deny it like always. We've given up asking them after three or four days." Duplica tried to stifle a laugh.

"Well, it'll be different now for Ash since he's the new Champion. They are usually very busy going places and doing top secret stuff." Sakura looked sad and shook her head. "Ash and Misty are so lucky that they have each other. They'll both go to new places and on missions together. They've traveled everywhere else together. It's only been me and Espeon when I've traveled."

"May, did Mist go inside?" Ash startled the three girls. "I haven't see her for an hour or so."

"Yeah, her headache started up. It was bothering her real bad." May didn't look up from her food.

"Guess that's not good…" Ash stopped when he saw the girls staring at him. "What?"

"We know _exactly_ what's been going on now between the two of you." May had a hard time trying not to laugh. Duplica and Sakura weren't making it any easier, as they were giggling.

Poor ol' Ash was shocked at what the others were thinking, and was also embarrassed, because it was somewhat like what was going on between Misty and him. "Okay, that's it! I'm gonna go find Mist. You guys can think whatever you want in your perverted minds. At least _we_, as in Mist and me, know what is really going on." He took off towards the big cabin.

* * *

"Hey Mist, are you okay?" Ash asked as he entered the room that he shared with Misty. Misty was laying on her stomach, but did not look up when Ash spoke to her. Ash sat down next to her on the bed and started to rub her back with one hand. "Must be a really big one to keep you from dancing."

"No, I'm just not really into big parties." Misty moved her head to look at Ash. She smiled.

"Well, most of the people have left. It's just our small group of friends." Ash named off the people who were still there. Misty found that it totaled to be about fifteen people, not counting Max, Molly, Delia, Professors Oak, Ivy, Elm, Hale, and Birch.

"Maybe I could go outside. I haven't seen most everyone for a long time." Misty turned over and laid on her back.

Ash smiled. "Or we could stay here and have a little bit of fun of our own." He was leaning over Misty and was now playing with her hair. Misty closed her eyes, and soon she felt Ash's hands wandering as he leaned down to kiss her fervently. When they broke the kiss, Ash stroked Misty's cheeks. "Mist, do you want to make love with me?" 'Great, I probably sounded like some major dork.'

Misty smiled. "I always wanted to with you. Just one thing–could you go kinda slow and easy until I say otherwise? You should know why."

Both teens stood up. "No problem Mist." Ash slowly took off his clothes, while Misty took off hers. As they were taking off their clothes, they continued to kiss. The two teens were lost in a heated rapture, with only love for each other in their eyes.

* * *

The next morning…

Ash woke up and felt something, or rather someone, lying next to him. He turned quietly, as to not wake the person up, and found Misty lying next to him. 'Mist looks so beautiful when she's sleeping like this and the morning sunlight is on her face.' He looked at the floor and saw a pile of clothes. Ash could make out that there was his clothing as well as Misty's in the pile. _'Guess it wasn't a dream last night. I hope Misty doesn't mind.'_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Good-Bye Ain't Forever, Is It?

* * *

Ash stood by the window at the Ever Grande City Airport. He was holding hands with Misty. She was dressed up, which wasn't that unusual nowadays. Brock was standing with them. Pikachu was perched on Ash's shoulder, although he would have to go into his Poké Ball later, when they got on the private plane. They were waiting for Ash's flight to a secret place. He had won the Hoenn Championship Tournament, and was now the Champion. The Elite Trainers, the best trainers in the Pokémon World, liked Ash's style and strategy, so they had asked him to do a special job. He had a hard time deciding whether or not to leave his friends and family behind for a few years. He also didn't want to leave Misty behind, for various reasons. Norman's kids (May and Max) had decided to continue traveling, not wanting to miss any training that they could get in. They did say their good-byes before they left though.

"Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, your flight is here, sir." A young man had approached the three teens and held out his hand. "My name is Porter, and it fits my job." He laughed at his own joke. The others smiled. "You will have ten minutes until you are to board. I'll let you say your farewells to your friends." The young man walked off a ways and sat on one of the nearby chairs.

Brock walked over to Ash and gave him a hug. Ash hugged back. Then, after they let go, they gave each other a high-five. "Well, I guess this is it kiddo, at least for a while. Take care of yourself and Pikachu. See ya buddy." The older teen ruffled Ash's hair, and the raven-haired boy laughed. Brock left to let Ash and Misty say good-bye. He knew this would be hard for the two of them. They had always been within calling distance. Ash couldn't call anyone he knew, it was 'one of the rules' as he was told. After a few years however, he would be free to do whatever he wanted. And he would have full protection with the Elite Trainers' bodyguards, so if he ended up in trouble, he could be easily helped. He hoped that nothing like that would ever happen though.

"Ash, are you okay?" Misty took both of Ash's hands in hers. She knew that he was going to have a hard time without her. He smiled solemnly.

"Yeah Misty, I'll be fine." Ash looked into Misty's blue-green eyes. They were a sad shade of blue, not the usual sea-green or indigo-blue shades that told everyone her feelings or attitude. "Promise me you'll stay outta trouble and be good."

"I promise." Misty smiled. She never got anyone into trouble unless she was fighting with Ash. Ash always was the one to get them into trouble, every time. "Besides, aren't _you_ the one who _always_ gets _us_ into some kind of trouble?" Misty joked.

"Sometimes, yeah. But I'll try to stay outta trouble too." Ash took a quick glance to Porter, and was told that he had a couple more minutes 'til he had to go. _'I'd better do this now, and quickly.'_ Ash thought. He leaned closer to Misty and hugged her, as well as gave her a long kiss. Misty was a little bit surprised. Finally, they broke the kiss. Misty was blushing slightly. "I'm gonna miss you, Mist." Ash whispered into Misty's ear. He tucked a strand of red-orange hair behind her ear.

"I'll miss you too, Ash." Misty didn't want to, but she pulled away, and reached into her bag that was sitting on the floor. She pulled out one of her blue hair-scrunchies and another handkerchief, this time it was blue and had 'Misty Williams' embroidered in pink thread on one corner. There was a note folded up in the handkerchief. "Here." Misty placed them into Ash's hands.

Ash looked at them for a second, then placed them into his jacket pocket and reached into his bag too. He pulled out a really pretty ring. It was silver and had a diamond in the center, with four smaller sapphire stones surrounding it. "Just so you'll have something to remember our promise."

Misty put the ring on her finger. "It's really beautiful, Ash. Thank you." They shared a quick kiss this time, and then Ash picked up his stuff. He walked over to Porter and they went to the gate. Ash turned around and waved to Misty, who was waving back. Then he left.

* * *

2 years later…

"What do you mean Misty's not there? She _has_ to be!" A fist pounded the stand on which the videophone sat. Ash had called the Cerulean City Gym, where Misty and her three older sisters lived.

"Sorry Ash, but Misty didn't make it back from her last visit with you guys. We've searched everywhere that we thought that she'd be. We think that maybe she's somewhere, being held against her will. We haven't heard any word from or about her for a little over two years." Lilly was upset.

"_Two years?_ I am not gonna let this continue. I made a promise to Mist long ago when we were little kids living in Lilycove that I'd do _anything_ to protect her from harm. I am _not_ gonna break that promise!"

"Be careful Ash. And bring her back safely, please." The connection was cut.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Unhappy Campers

* * *

Next day…

Ash was sitting under a tree while Brock, May, Brendan, and Max was setting up camp. They had decided to start a rebel group after Ash had finished the job that he had received from the Elite Trainers, the trainers who were the best and ran all the Pokémon Tournaments. It was hard for Ash at first, since his best human friend was not around anymore. They were going to try and take down Team Rocket. It also gave Ash something to help take his mind off of Misty. He was almost constantly thinking of her every minute that he was doing nothing of importance. "Wonder how Misty's doing?"

Pikachu-pi? She'll be fine. Pikachu was sitting with Ash.

"I guess you're right. She is pretty tough when she wants to be. But that's what makes her my Waterflower, right Pikachu?"

Yeah... Pikachu didn't understand much about human love, but he knew that it was different than love between Pokémon, which was mostly instinct. When Pikachu saw that May had let out her Combusken, Skitty, Beautifly, Bulbasaur, Munchlax, Squirtle and Eevee he ran over and they started to play a game.

"Why can't Ash help us set up camp or do something? He's just sitting there like a bump on a log." May was complaining, as usual.

"May, we're almost to the base. Let the poor boy rest some. He's had a hard day. And if I know what's bothering him, it'll be best if we _all_ leave him alone for a while." Brock was cooking everyone's supper. The older teen looked to Max. "Only _one_ person can cheer him up."

"Probably you. You two are best friends, after all." Brendan Birch, a boy with hair that was just as spiky as Ash's, only white, not black, joined the conversation. He was finished putting up the tents

"No, not me. Somebody else that he's traveled with." Brock kept his attention on the soup. He was almost as upset as Ash was. Misty had been a younger sister to him since the day he joined the group.

"That really narrows it down some. It's not any of us. Either Tracey, or it could be Misty." May thought for a moment, and then shook her head. "Well, I'm stumped." May really knew, but didn't want to say it. She also missed the older girl.

"I'll give you three guesses, and the first two won't count." Max piped up.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

It's Impossible, Or Is It?

* * *

About 2 months later, at night…

"No, Michael. Please d-don't hurt me. I-I didn't do a-anything wrong." A red-haired girl, no more than sixteen, was being beaten on by a boy that was twice her size. And it wasn't her fault either. She had been kidnapped, and was forced to do things she never wanted to do. She was hardly fed much of anything, and was all covered in scars and bruises. Her clothes were rags and just barely covered all the necessary areas.

"That's right, _bitch_, you didn't do anything. Now, you'll pay. Very dearly, since I'm fed up with your behavior." Michael was holding a knife in one hand, while the other hand held the girl to the wall by her neck. She was struggling and gasping for air, since his hand was constricting her windpipe. "For two years you've been nothing but _t-r-o-u-b-l-e_." He raised the knife into the air, and was ready to bring it down when he felt it leave his hand.

"Hound." A black blur went by Michael's hand and took the knife from him. It went back to where it came from. Michael looked and saw three shadowy figures. They appeared to be boys, if not young men.

"I don't think so. Next time, pick on someone your own size." One of the shadowy figures, which had a hat on (backwards) and spiky hair, stepped forward. He appeared to be the leader. He petted the Houndoom. "Good work Doomy." The boy took the knife that the Houndoom held and inspected it. "Nice one. Fine detailed work, sharp edge, folds close, and opens by pushing a button. Not a bad choice for killing someone with a blade that's three and a-half, maybe four inches long. But after today, you'll be wishing you were never born, _Michael Cross_."

"What are you talking about? She deserves all the punishment that she's getting from me." He let go of the girl, who slumped to the floor, unconscious. He stood in a fighting stance.

"Use Vine Whip Meganium." A Poké Ball opened and a flash of very bright light appeared. It took the shape of Meganium, a green-colored Grass-type Pokémon that had flower petals around her neck. The green Pokémon used her Vine Whip attack to tie up Michael. "Now, the finishing touch. Brock, rope please." A slightly taller figure handed over a coil of rope. The spiky haired boy stepped over to the tied up boy and wrapped the rope around him, tying him up. Meganium let go of Michael when the rope was completely tied with several tight knots. The spiky haired boy recalled the Grass type Pokémon. He had a smirk on his face, satisfied that there was one less Team Rocket member on the loose. "It was bad enough when Mom found out that you were a Team Rocket member; but hurting someone that doesn't deserve it, well, that crosses the line."

Another figure appeared. He picked up the tied Michael. "You're coming with me, Cross. You are under arrest for the following: participation in an evil-doing organization; the deaths of over a hundred people and Pokémon; and for putting a human life in danger, giving improper care, and the act of trying to commit homicide with that life. You won't get anything less than life in prison, with no chance of parole." He dragged the tied person outside and into his unmarked squad car.

The spiky haired boy went over to where the red-haired girl lay. She was barely breathing, and didn't wake when the boy shook her gently, although her eyelids fluttered. The boy saw her eyes and was shocked. _'Oh my god, it's Misty.'_ "Guys, I'm gonna take Mist to the hospital. Stay here and look for _anything_ that can be used against Michael Cross, as well as anything that will indicate what hell _he_ put her through."

"How do _you_ know that she's Misty? Ash, the girl _isn't_ awake." The figure, which had been called 'Brock' earlier, asked the black, spiky-haired boy kneeling by the girl.

"The girl has dark red-orange hair and her eyes are aqua-blue.

"But how do _you_ know Ash? She ain't awake and she didn't tell you her name." The third figure asked. He had spiky white hair and it was held in place by a bandana that was black and was covered with a red Poké Ball pattern.

"For a moment, I saw her eyes open and they were a pretty aqua-blue. They look just like Misty's did when we were younger. And the _only_ person that has this hair-and eye-color combination is Mist. Now, I don't wanna answer any more questions. I _need_ to get Mist to the base hospital so she can be properly cared for. As soon as I can, I'll be back to help you guys search this pathetic excuse for a house." The boy, now known as Ash, picked up the girl and carried her out the door.

"Brendan, you look down here while I look upstairs." Brock left and went up the stairs.

"Great." Brendan, the boy with white hair, sighed and shook his head. "Another search for a needle in a cosmic haystack. I doubt that there is _any_ evidence to support those theories that Ash has."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Awful Memories, Teary Reunion

A week later…

_ Are you okay? _ Pikachu hopped onto Ash's lap and looked into his master's eyes. They had a sad, depressing look to them. He saw that there was a Poké Ball similar to his own in his master's hands. _ Pipi-pi? _

"Yeah, I'm fine buddy. I'm just worried 'bout Misty, that's all. And yes, Togetic's in there." Ash petted the electric rodents golden-yellow coat. It had changed over the years from the bright yellow it was born with as a Pichu, to a light golden-yellow color. And now, Pikachu would go into his Poké Ball when needed, often during one of Ash's missions or raids that the Elite Trainers sent his way. There was still one mission that Ash could not accomplish, getting rid of Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, and placing him under arrest and putting him on trial. Although he had the help of Jessie, James and Meowth, it wasn't enough. Ash had ended Team Aqua and Team Magma's reign of terror a few years ago, and they decided to help Ash as well as save the world. They had kept their promises so far, but Ash had warned them: one wrong move, and you will wish that you had never seen the light of day.

"Ash, Misty is awake now. We'll keep her for another week or so to make sure that she will fully recover from her wounds. She has also been through a lot of psychological and emotional stress, as well as all kinds of abuse from that sorry excuse for a human being." The doctor shook her head. "It will be a miracle if Misty trusts anyone after all that she has been put through. Was she awake when you found her?"

"Well, when we entered the room, yeah she was. But after a few minutes, Mist passed out from lack of oxygen since that…_bastard_…had her pinned to the wall by her neck. She could barely breathe, Atsuko." Ash clenched his fists tightly. "When I finally could check on Mist, her eyes opened for a second and I saw her eyes. They were a pretty aqua-blue color. Misty's the only person I know with that particular combination of hair and eyes." His face got a dreamy look.

Atsuko snapped her fingers to get Ash's attention back to earth. "This isn't the first time that she's gone through this, since the previous scars show."

"We've known each other since before we could remember. She went through an awful lot when we were just little kids. We used to live in Apple Blossom Town until her father did all of that awful stuff…" Ash proceeded to tell what had happened.

"My, my. I didn't know that Misty had been through that much when she was only five. And you knew about this the _whole_ time it was happening?" Atsuko shook her head.

"Yeah. She told only me. I kept it secret until it accidentally came out. My mom was shocked, but glad that I was the one she told. Mist would cling to Mom's skirt, or stay right by my side at the preschool we went to. She was very, very shy, and a couple of kids would make fun of her scars and bruises, saying that she was a klutz and couldn't stand on both feet. After I hit a couple of them, they stopped making fun of her for the rest of the time we went there. Her father had gone too far that night. Her mother didn't make it. She was dead before the paramedics arrived…"

"Oh my." Atsuko gasped. "That must have been awful for her to find out that her mother is dead at such an early age.

"Yeah. She went a little crazy and didn't want contact with _anyone_ but Mom and me for the longest time. Her father escaped from prison and started Team Rocket with another man. The other guy did it under the name most people know him as." Ash slammed his fist into the wall. "That bastard will pay with his life for hurting Mist and her mom."

_ Pikachu-pi went through all that horrible stuff when she was little? _ Pikachu looked at his master.

_ Yeah, it was horrible. I'll explain later. _ Ash picked up Pikachu and held him. _ You stay here while I go check on Mist, 'kay? _

_ Okay… _ Pikachu jumped down and landed on the bench. He sat down and waited. 'This better be good.'

Meanwhile…

"Huh? Where am I?" Misty woke up. She was groggy from the sedatives that they had used to calm her down. She knew that she had been beaten on, and that someone had carried her here, to the hospital, to get her some help. She tried to remember what the person look like. Misty knew she saw black hair, and that the person was a boy or a young man. He had a couple of marks on his face that looked like faded 'Z's', and that he had a hat on. She couldn't remember much more, other than the hat was red and black, with a green Poké Ball symbol. 'Wait a minute, that was the same hat that Ash wore when he traveled in Hoenn! And those eyes! They were an amber color, with bits of brown specks in them. That person looked like Ash, but it couldn't be. Or could it?' The door opened, and Misty looked in that direction. Someone was coming in. She wondered who it could be.

"Hey Mist, how ya doing?" They voice sounded familiar. Misty looked for a second, and saw him, the boy who had brought her here. Misty turned her head. She was embarrassed and ashamed. She never wanted to have some stranger help her with her troubles, especially a guy. She didn't trust that many. "Mistara, it's alright. It's _me_, Ashton. Don't you remember?" The boy sat on the bed next to Misty and stroked her hair.

She looked up to the boy. "Ashy, is that you? How? Wha?" It was him all right. Only seven people called her Mistara, and only one person she knew of was called Ashton. Misty started to cry. This was just like her dream that she had a couple of days ago, a week ago, or a month ago? She couldn't remember. Was she dreaming, or is all of this really happening.

"Mist, it's okay. You don't have to cry. I'm here for you. Shh." Ash stroked Misty's cheek. He knew that Misty was scared about what had happened to her. He also knew that Misty was embarrassed. Misty had always seem like the type to take care of herself and not want any help, especially since she didn't trust many of the opposite gender. Sure, she trusted Ash, Brock, Tracey and Professor Oak completely. But the only reason why she trusted Ash above all the others was because he had always been there for her, _always_. Since the beginning.

"I-I'm afraid that I'm j-just dreaming all of this. I was for the longest time. It was the only way for me t-to stay alive, the only way for m-me to survive each new day." Misty started to cry some more. Ash sat there and let her cry, rubbing her back and shoulders the whole time. "Ash, who or what told you to go and find me…_there_?" Misty looked up at the raven-haired boy. There were a few dried streaks on her face where the tears had fallen.

"I was told by a secret source that there was a man who lived around here and was to be the next to take control of Team Rocket if Giovanni disappeared. I was also told that a girl with waist-length, red hair was staying with him, possibly as a servant or slave, or even as a trainee for a Grunt position on Team Rocket. When we entered the room where you were with _him_, something inside of me told me that it _had_ to be you." Ash stopped rubbing Misty's back and shoulders long enough to wipe the tears still on Misty's face. "You don't have to cry anymore, Mist. As long as I'm around, you'll be safe, I promise." Ash looked at his watch. "I'm sorry Mist, but I have to go. It's later than I expected it to be. I'll come see you in the morning. You'll have Atsuko to take care of you 'til then." He stood up and took one of his Poké Balls from his jacked pocket. "Here Mist. Just in case you want someone to talk to when you get bored or lonely." Ash handed it over to Misty.

"I-I can't Ash. It's _yours_, not mine." Misty protested and started to give the Poké Ball back, but Ash stopped her.

"No, it's one of your older ones Mist. The only difference is just that it's in a Poké Ball." Misty looked at Ash, and smiled. It was one of her rare smiles that Ash hadn't seen in over two years. Just that smile alone reminded Ash why he had loved–no, still loved the fiery-tempered, red-haired girl. He left the room, but turned around to wave to Misty. Ash was a little surprised when Misty blew him a kiss good-bye, but understood that she was still his girlfriend after everything that had happened to her in the past two years. He returned it before he walked out the door.

"How did Misty respond to you?" Atsuko asked. When Ash didn't answer, she looked up and saw the answer on his face. "Not as bad as you expected, huh?"

"Yeah, it actually went pretty good. As soon as I called her 'Mistara', she opened right up. Of course she was embarrassed and cried some, but she's fine now. I gave Mist one of her old Pokémon, one of her favorites." Ash smiled. "Mist hasn't seen her in over two years…"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Surprises And More Surprises

* * *

The next morning…

Misty woke up. There was bright sunlight coming in from a window. It landed near her bed. 'It's probably morning now.' Misty thought. She looked around and realized that she wasn't dreaming earlier. As her eyes roamed the room, they stopped at the Poké Ball on the nightstand by her bed. It was different that most. It looked like a normal red-and-white Poké Ball, but it had a black star-like symbol on the front. It looked like the one that Professor Oak had given her when he first saw Togepi, and told her that is was custom-built for normal-types. He even said that it would be cozy for a baby. Misty was curious about the creature inside of the Poké Ball. She held it up while saying "Come on out." As a white light came out and started to form into a shape, Misty gasped in surprise. It was her Togetic.

Mommy! Togetic cried as soon as she saw her trainer. It had been a long time since they had last seen each other.

"Togetic!" Misty sat up and started to stand but her legs wouldn't support her. They buckled.

Mommy, take it easy. Togepi went to help her trainer. She could lift Misty just enough to set her on the bed, without her powers. Togetic wasn't surprised. Ash had told her that Misty would be weak and not weigh as much for a couple of days, and that she would be covered in bruises and scars, as well as a few new scrapes and cuts. Togetic looked around the room, and spied a tray of food. Using her psychic powers, she brought the tray over to the bed. Misty smiled. She loved her 'baby' and loved to take care of her, but it was time the tables were turned. I take care of Mommy!

"Yes, I guess you have to. Mommy doesn't mind though. I haven't seen you in years, and I want to spend time with my baby." Misty smiled. Togetic started to pick up food on a spoon and feed it to Misty. Misty sat up and took it from her. "I'm not _totally_ useless, Togetic." Misty laughed, and Togepi did too.

'Kay! Togetic brought the tray over closer and set it down so that it sat over Misty's lap.

A door opened and closed. Atsuko walked into the room. "Morning Misty. How are you feeling?" She had a chart, needle, stethoscope and other items to check and see how Misty was doing. She looked over to where the laughter was coming from and smiled. Togetic took off and hid.

"Just fine. I'm surprised that Togetic's back with Ash and me." Misty looked over to where Togetic was hiding.

"How long has she been yours?" Atsuko put her stuff on a table nearby.

"She was a Togepi for a really long time, and about two and a-half years ago she finally evolved when I had come for a visit to see Ash while he was traveling in Hoenn. I was a little upset when I had to leave her behind, but I knew that someday we'd see each other again." Misty laughed. "But I never though it would be so _soon_, and here of all places." Misty then noticed that the room was built differently, as if partly underground. _Togetic, is part of this building underground? _

Yup! Togetic smiled and laughed a little. She flew over to Atsuko and looked the 'strange' girl over. Then, Togetic surprised Atsuko by kissing her on the cheek.

"Well, looks like Togetic likes me." Atsuko said, more to herself than to anyone.

Togetic giggled. She flew around the room some more before landing on the bed next to Misty. Mommy, where are Daddy and Pikachu?

"I think they went to find the others. And I haven't seen them since last night, so I don't know where they could be. They'll be back later Toge…" Misty was interrupted.

"Knock, knock. Can I come in?" Ash opened the door and stuck his head in. Pikachu looked in from his perch also. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, not right now. I was going to check on Misty. But if you want to, you can visit her before the next training session begins." Atsuko picked up her stuff and left the two teens alone.

"Training session? What's that?" Misty was curious. She was still eating, but she wanted to listen to Ash. She patted the bed next to where she was sitting, inviting him to sit for a spell.

Ash sat on the bed next to Misty. "Oh, we train people to be able to hold their own when they come across a Team Rocket member and are trying to escape. I haven't gotten rid of Team Rocket entirely, and Giovanni is still hiding somewhere. We mostly try defensive maneuvers, but once in a while I like to surprise them and try an offensive attack." He looked at the tray and smiled. "I'm surprised. You ate _everything_ in record time."

Misty looked at Ash, surprised. "Well, I really haven't been eating much, or very often, thanks to…to _him_." She picked up everything on the tray and stacked it neatly. Togetic used her powers to move the tray back to where it was sitting earlier. Ash grinned.

"She's been doing that a lot lately, ever since she came back here to stay with Pikachu and me." At the sound of his name, Pikachu jumped onto Misty's lap. His chocolate-brown eyes looked into her aqua-blue ones.

Pikachu-pi! Are you okay? Pikachu was glad. Misty was back where she belonged, with Ash, Togetic, and Pikachu.

"Yeah, I'm fine Pikachu. Thanks for asking though." Misty petted Pikachu's golden-yellow fur. She then saw what looked like Pikachu's Poké Ball sitting in Ash's coat pocket. "Does Pikachu go in there now on his own free will?"

"Uh-huh. Usually it's when I'm about to go on another raid or maneuver. He doesn't like being left behind unless he has to, which isn't very often. And both Togetic and Pikachu have learned things which most Pokémon haven't."

"Like what Ash?" She didn't have a clue as to what they could learn. Misty looked to where Togetic and Pikachu were talking among themselves with another Pokémon. He was black, and looked like a big dog. Misty immediately recognized him. He was Ash's Houndoom, evolved from a Houndour. _'Ash must have gotten him back recently. I haven't seen Doomy since I left to go and live with my sisters when I was little.'_

"They've learned how to read and write, and how to use a computer. They've become very useful. Especially when we've invaded the headquarters of Team Rocket on one of our missions. We have a lot of information that's come in handy. And they don't know it yet, but whenever new information is put into their computers, anywhere in the world, we also get updates as well." Ash chuckled. "It was easy getting into the main computer room, thanks to Togetic's Teleport ability. Then they did the necessary computer work while Doomy and I kept any Rockets away from them. They were so easy to defeat."

"Togetic and Pikachu can read and write? But, that's impossible for Pokémon to learn." Misty had a shocked expression on her face.

"Yeah, they decided to learn so that I'd have some help when I'm doing solo missions. Sometimes, I've need help from them in the reading department when I'm out-numbered by Team Rocket." Ash stopped for a minute to think. "I bet that you don't know about Jessie, James and Meowth helping us?"

"I know that Jessie, James and Meowth are helping. They stopped to see how I was doing last night after you left. They were on night patrol, and decided to see me. They were glad to see me after two years." Misty brought her legs up so she could put her arms around them. She then rested her head on her knees. "They were surprised that I knew a lot about Team Rocket's Kanto operations." She looked down closed and her eyes. A few tears fell from her face.

"You knew about their operations here in Kanto?" Ash was shocked. 'Misty was 'in' with Team Rocket during these past two years?' He put his arm around Misty to comfort her.

"Yeah. Michael told me _everything_ that would happen before it did. He even told me what will happen in the next few weeks. I was shocked, because he trusted me. I knew that he thought that I would tell someone, but I never did. Michael even tried to train me to be a Rocket Grunt. I kept giving him a hard time. I didn't want to be a part of Team Rocket, and I still don't wanna." Misty stopped talking and looked at Ash's face. She saw his expression. "That's hard to believe, ain't it?"

"I _do_ believe you, though. I know that you would never lie to me unless it was absolutely necessary." Ash smiled. "You don't _hafta_ tell me everything right now if you don't wanna."

"I know, Ash. It's just that, well, I don't know what to really say about the time I spent with Michael. Some of the things that he did would make you sick to your stomach, Ash. They did for me." Misty started to cry some more. "It was awful. All of the pain and torture that he put me through…"

"Shh. Don't cry Mist." Ash rubbed the red-haired girl's back. She was really upset. 'Mist must have been through an awful lot. I've never seen her this upset since we were little kids. But I'm gonna be here for her. She won't be alone ever again.' Ash looked over to where Pikachu and Togepi were. _Pikachu, go to the computer database and look up Michael's records. Take Togetic and Doomy with you. Print out anything on his history. And bring Skittlez's Poké Ball back with you. I want to surprise Mist and cheer her up. _

_Yes Pika-pi. We'll leave now. C'mon Pipi-pi and Doomy. _Pikachu signaled for the others and left the room through the little door at the bottom of the big one. Doomy followed without complaint, but Togetic hesitated.

_Daddy, do I have to go? Mommy's upset and I wanna stay here with her. _Togetic pouted as she looked back and forth from Misty to Ash.

_Yes Togetic. Mommy wants to tell me something private, and you may not understand much. When we want to tell you, we'll let you know. And yes, Mommy will be fine. Now, please go, okay? _

_Okay Daddy, if you say so… _Togetic left the room by teleporting to where Pikachu and Doomy were going to be, since they had gone on ahead.

"Did you tell them to go?" Misty looked at Ash. She had forgotten that he could use the same ability as her with Pikachu and Togetic. She didn't know if she could still telepathically communicate with Ash or Gary though. They hadn't done that since before she was kidnapped.

"Yeah, and I also told Pikachu to look something up and print it out for me. He's getting to be very useful when I'm busy. It's like he's another arm, or a lil' me." Ash started to laugh, then stopped. Misty was laughing at his joke as well. 'God, I've forgotten how beautiful her laugh is. It has been so long since I've heard it.' "Guess I haven't lost my sense of humor yet, huh Mist?"

"Nope. Still as witty as ever." She laughed some more. Then, Misty surprised Ash, as well as herself. She leaned on his shoulder. "Ashy, can we _please_ go for a walk. I'm gonna go stir-fry crazy if I'm in this room for another night and I don't see a change of scenery." She looked up into his amber eyes. That was another thing that had changed over the years. His eyes were amber when they were little, then had changed to chocolate-brown right after the move to Kanto. And while Misty had been gone for the past two years, they had changed back to amber. "Please Ashy?"

Ash had a skeptical look on his face. "I guess it wouldn't hurt. But we have to be careful Mist. Team Rocket has taken control of most of the things having to do with Pokémon. They are on the lookout for us. They're calling us 'rebels' and 'terrorists', but they are the terrorists, and we are just trying to free everyone. They've made Team Aqua and Team Magma go into hiding, as well as us. But for some strange reason, they are letting us get weapons and ammo. They won't stop us from doing that. I guess that they are suspecting a huge up-rise or attack soon."

"Kinda like a modern-day escape from Egypt." Misty giggled. "And who's in charge?"

"I'm first, and Gary's just underneath me. We're like a modern-day Moses and Aaron leading 'Our People' to the 'Promised Land'. And you are like…uh, what's her name…Miriam" Ash smiled. His 'brother' was one weird person. Gary used to try to get almost any girl to sleep with him, but now didn't really care about anyone but Sakura. Ash and Gary still had that competitive streak in both of them. But it was mostly in a friendly, brotherly way. And Gary had always wanted to get rid of Team Rocket. When he found out that Ash was trying to achieve the same goal, he had suggested that they team up and have other people help them as well.

"Gary's here!?! I haven't seen him since the Championship Tournament in Ever Grande City!"

"Yes. Maybe we can see him while we go for a walk. You ready Mist?"

"C'mon Ash!" Misty was on her feet and pulling at Ash's arms.

"Okay, okay, just lemme have my arm back." The raven-haired boy laughed. Misty was a happy as ever. Ash got up and the both of them left the room.

* * *

As they passed the nurse's station, Atsuko smiled. 'I guess that Ash is gonna be in a better mood now that Misty's here. And they are walking together, hand in hand.' "Have fun you two, but be back here after supper, okay?"

"We will." chorused Ash and Misty.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Meetings And Confessions

* * *

"Hey Ashie-Boy! Where have you been? The next training session starts in five." Gary had caught up to where Ash and Misty had walked to, thanks to Atsuko. He was surprised. He knew the red-haired girl that was with Ash. "Misty! It's so good to see you!" Gary gave Misty a hug.

"Gary! It's been forever!" The red-haired girl exclaimed. Misty was glad to see Gary. He was like an older brother to her, as well as to Ash.

"I'm gonna be a little late. Could you start it for me? I'm showing Mist around."

"Sure, and you need to hit the sack soon. You've been up for hours on end. Take today off, okay?"

"I guess I should. I've been working extra-hard since I started after Michael Cross. I guess cause he had a lot to do with my past. Thanks Gay-Ray."

"No prob. But keep Misty outta the restricted areas until she gets her all-access pass. Got it?"

"Yeah. C'mon Mist. I'll show you our room. You'll love your own area, I promise."

* * *

"Wow, Ash. It awesome!" Misty walked around the room. The room what was her own private bedroom in the suite was decorated with everything ocean and Water-Pokémon themed. It had been a long time since she had a room of her own that was pleasing to her. "Being shut up in a dirty, disgusting room for hours on end was horrible. The only time I got to go outside of that room was when it was time for me to eat, relive myself, get exercise, or when Michael would…would force me to…to…" She couldn't go on. Misty broke down and started to cry.

"I've got a pretty good idea of what he put you through, Mist. With what Atsuko told me about your scars and injuries, as well as what I've found out about Michael from the records, I probably wouldn't be too far from being wrong. And then there was that incident when we were younger." Ash shuffled over to Misty and placed his arms around her. As soon as the red-haired girl noticed this, she stiffened for a second, the relaxed. "Mist, I didn't mean to make you think I was _him_."

"I know Ash, but I can't help it. When we were little, he was a bit of a problem for the both of us, and now that we're older, he's a problem again. I'm glad that he's not your _real_ father."

"Yeah Mist. But you know that I'll hurt anyone who even tries to touch you inappropriately or hurt ya. Besides, now that I'm older, I can beat anyone up if I have to." Ash paused. "Did anything come of the nights we slept together?"

Misty looked away. "Yeah. I…I became pregnant. When Michael found out that it wasn't his, he beat me…" She stopped and wiped her tears away. "I…I lost our child Ash." With that said, the dam broke and Misty let the tears fall.

"Shh, it wasn't your fault. Everything's okay Mist." Ash stroked her hair.

"She would have been two this fall. Just learning to walk and talk, exploring the world around her…" Misty shook her head. "Atsuko said that I might never be able to have kids again. She said it would be a huge miracle if I did…"

"It's okay Mist. We could always adopt kids." Ash smiled. "Our baby was to be a girl?" Misty nodded. "I think that a little girl and a little boy would be all the kids we need, don't you?"

Misty smiled. "Yeah, Momma's baby boy and Daddy's little girl. That would be perfect." Misty kissed Ash on the lips.

Pikachu, Togepi, and Doomy teleported into the room. Doomy held a Poké Ball in his mouth. The Poké Ball was different than most, being black where it would be normally red and white, and where a Poké Ball would be black, it was a reddish/gold color. The black dog placed the Luxury Ball on the ground at Misty's feet.

The red-haired girl looked at the Luxury Ball, then recognized it as one of her old ones. "Is that Skittlez's Poké Ball?" Doomy nodded. Misty picked up the black orb and pressed the button.

Out popped a pink kitten-like Pokémon. "Nyaa!" It sat by the red-haired girl's feet, rubbing her face and head on her Trainer's legs.

"Hey Skittlez!" Misty knelt down to pick up the pink kitten. She petted her on the head. "Doesn't May have a Skitty too?"

"Yeah." Ash shook his head. "You know, May's been waiting for you to wake up. You wanna go see her?"

"Sure." Both Ash and Misty left the room, their Pokémon following them.

* * *

"Misty! Oh my god!" May's voice brought the red-haired girl's attention towards the brunette.

"May!" Misty and May hugged each other tightly.

Misty's Skitty rubbed up against May. "Nyaa!"

"Oh, ain't you a cutie!" May knelt and petted Skittlez. A bright light flashed and out came May's Skitty. It looked Skittlez over, then began to play with her. The two began to chase each other around the room.

"Ash says that you guys were really worried about me when I was in the hospital. That…monster did quite a lot of damage to me. But I'm okay now." Misty smiled as Togetic gently tugged on her red-orange hair. "What Togetic? Something wrong?" The little happiness Pokémon just smiled and chirped before flying to Pikachu and getting his attention. They began a game of tag, chasing each other around the room.

"Do you think you'll be able to help with the missions? Or is Ash gonna be protective and not allow you to leave the base until the civil war is over?" May looked at the couple and smiled.

Ash looked at Misty. "You don't have to if you don't wanna, Mist. No one's gonna pressure you to do something against your will. That's sorta the motto. People joined because they wanted to, not just because we asked."

"Give me a few days to get used to being here and I'll gladly help. I'll need some training though." The red-haired girl looked down to her feet. "Like Momma always said, 'when you get knocked off of the Ponyta you're riding, you've gotta get back on…'." All three teens laughed.

The door to the room opened, and Brock, Tracey, Daisy and Max entered. They were surprised to see Misty up and about. Daisy rushed over to her baby sister and hugged her tight. "God, Misty, it's been so long since we've seen you."

"Easy on the rib cage, sis. I've got enough bruises to last me a lifetime." The blonde let go of her sister as soon as she realized what Misty had said. "I'll bet Ash dragged you out of the hospital?"

"Actually, she dragged me. I almost lost my arm." The raven-haired boy rubbed his shoulder and grinned. "I forgot how strong Misty is."

"You'd better not forget again. I'll remind you every time." Misty smiled as Ash looked sort of worried. "I'm just kidding." The red-haired girl walked over to Ash and hugged him.

Brock smiled at the two teens as they shared a quick kiss. "This time, Ash, you're gonna keep her in sight?"

"Duh. I'm not letting her go ever again. I almost lost her twice, I don't need it to happen a third time." Ash gently squeezed Misty in a hug. "As soon as this war is over with, Misty and I can actually date and plan our future without worrying too much about what tomorrow brings."

"Geeze, already thinking about the kids?" Tracey joked. Ash and Misty blushed a deep red as the others laughed. "Man, it's okay. We know what you've been through. We're just trying to get you to lighten up."

"Actually, Ash and I already know how many kids we want." Misty smiled. "Hopefully, we'll have a boy and a girl."

"Better than what Brock wants. Knowing him, he'll get too busy with his wife to stop and think about the dozen or so kids he'll have." Eleven-year-old Max grinned. "I'm pulling him away from the girls here almost every second he's awake."

"Max!" May reprimanded her brother. "Since when did you get so knowledgeable about what goes on behind closed doors? Only us older kids know."

"He walked in on me and a girl one time. The little midget thought he was in front of the kitchen at two in the morning." Brock smiled.

"Hey, I was sleep-walking! I can't help that!" Max glared at the older trainer. "And I'm not a midget! I just haven't had a growth spurt yet!"

"Cut it out! We don't want a fight like the ones Ash and Misty used to have." Tracey pulled Max away from Brock and made him sit down on the sofa behind them. "It's one thing when they fight, but it's another when you two get going at it."

Ash and Misty laughed. "Still scarred from the fights we had, huh Trace?" The two teens responded at the same time, earning looks from the others. "It's a psychic thing. We picked it up when we were little."

Tracey just nodded as the others stared. "So it hasn't been forgotten. Daisy told me that used to happen when you were younger and living in Apple Blossom Town."

"Yeah. Gary also has the same ability. And we can use it to actually talk to our Pokémon and understand them. That's why I've always been able to understand Pikachu. I just acted dumb about it when I was a beginner trainer. It comes from being the Chosen One; Lugia told me back at Shamouti Island. The reason why Misty and Gary can is because they were my first friends and they're the closest to me."

"Why couldn't Misty use that ability to contact us?" May asked.

"Because Michael would inject me with a drug that blocks all Psychic powers in humans and Pokémon on a daily basis. The few times he forgot, I couldn't contact Ash or Gary because my body was weak and the distance between us was too far for me at those times." Misty smiled. "When I'm at normal strength, I can communicate with Ash or Gary wherever they are. There's no limit to the distance or any obstructions when we're in perfect health, but the weaker we are, the short the distance must be. It's kinda weird, even for us."

Brock, May and Max looked at Ash and Misty like they were aliens. "So once you get stronger and begin helping us, we'll be able to plan attacks at the last minute between groups and not cause too much confusion with the plans?" Brock said to himself more than to anyone. "Hey, could Sabrina or other psychics be able to communicate with you without problems?"

"Yes, although since their abilities are more or less second rate, there are restrictions on the space between us and things that are in the way." Ash answered the older trainer's questions.

The door opened again and this time it was Gary who walked in, a smirk on his face. "Who called the powwow and forgot to give me a memo?"

"It wasn't our idea. Blame them." Ash and Misty pointed at Brock, Tracey, Daisy and Max. "They came into the room after we did."

Gary smiled. "You guys are doing it again…"

"Hey! You have the same abilities too! And you can't tattle on us to Mom. She'll just brush it off." Ash and Misty looked at each other and grinned.

"Leave them alone, Gary. Misty's been through hell and back, and Ash's been diving head-first off the deep end for weeks." Daisy walked over to the three teens. "Delia said that you two lovebirds are gonna have to talk to her before Misty can move into this room. She wants to set some ground rules for your dating."

"She doesn't want us to start having babies before we're eighteen, and she also doesn't want us to think that each other is the only thing that is important to us. I know what she'll say, Daisy. Mom said it last time and made us promise." Ash rolled his eyes.

"And the only reason why I got pregnant with Ash's child is because we weren't thinking the first night we slept together. After that we used protection."

"You were PREGNANT!" Brock, Tracey, Daisy, Gary, May and Max all exclaimed at once.

Misty nodded. "When Michael found out that it wasn't his child, he beat me very badly and made me lose her. He rushed me to the hospital and claimed I fell out of the second-floor window."

A few tears fell down her face and Ash noticed. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped them away, then held her close. "Shh. It's okay, Mist. That's never gonna happen again."

The others looked at each other and frowned. They didn't mean to make Misty cry. "Hey, we didn't mean to–"

The red-haired girl raised her head. "It's okay, Brock. You guys didn't know. Once I'm back to normal, it won't bother me so much."

The group continued to talk for a few hours.

* * *

"Well, my break's over. I gotta get back to the training session. See ya guys later!" Gary left the room.

"I need to get back to the kitchen. I've got cooking duty today." Brock also left the room.

"I need to talk to Violet and Lily and let them know. You wanna come, May?" Daisy looked the the brunette-haired girl.

"No, I gotta go find Brendan and my parents. We're supposed to have 'the talk' too. Mom's jumping the gun and thinking that we're planning to…you know." May blushed as she spoke.

Tracey pointed to Max. "We're gonna go talk to Professor Oak about adding some more vitamins and other suppliments to the Pokémons' diets. I don't think that most of them are getting the amounts they need."

"See ya at dinner!" Ash and Misty called out as the others left.

For a few minutes, there was silence as the two teens sat on the sofa and just held hands. Ash looked at Misty and noticed that she was tired. "Mist, if you want, you can go lay down in our room and take a nap. I think today's events were too much for you."

"I don't wanna be alone. Could you stay there with me?" The red-haired girl looked at her boyfriend with puppy-dog eyes. "You don't have to lay down with me until I'm asleep. I just want you to be in the same room as me. Kinda like when we were younger."

"Sure Mist." Ash gently kissed Misty on her forehead. "C'mon." The two teens got up and walked to their room.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Gaining Confidence

* * *

A few days later…

Misty woke up to see amber eyes in front of hers. "You okay, Mist?" Ash asked as the red-haired girl sat up. "You were crying out in your sleep."

"The usual nightmares. Has Atsuko given me clearance yet?" Misty smiled as Togetic flew over to her and nuzzled her. "Geeze, Togetic. You act like I've been gone for centuries everytime you see me. Did Ash decide to abuse you?"

The winged Pokémon shook her head 'no' and giggled. She flew about the room, nearly knocking Ash's hat off more than once. Mommy's all better. Togetic nursed Mommy to good health!

The door opened to reveal Delia holding a change of clothes. "Here Misty, I thought you'd like to shower and change before you leave the hospital base."

"Thanks Mom." Misty smiled as the brown-haired woman came over and laid the clothes on the bed. "Um…Daisy said that you wanted to set some house rules about me and Ash sharing a room."

"All I'm asking is that you follow what I told you last time. Ash told me about the lost baby, and I suspected that you probably did get pregnant the first night you were together. And Ash, you're not gonna push Misty into doing anything she doesn't want. If I hear about it, you'll know."

"Yes Mom. But you know that I'd never make Mist do anything she don't want. I promised that years ago." Ash looked at his mom.

"I'm just making sure we're on the same page. I don't want either of you to get hurt; the two of you are more important to me than anything else."

"Besides Professor Oak?" The raven-haired boy teased.

Delia blushed and lightly smacked her son on the shoulder. "You know what I mean, Ash."

"Anyways, if Ash tries to force me into anything, I can just kick him out of the room." Misty smiled as Ash began to protest.

"Misty!" Ash frowned. "You wouldn't, would you?"

"No, I'd just move in with either May or my sisters. You had the room first, so technically you have the right to stay there if we have a fight." Misty leaned over and kissed the raven-haired boy on the cheek. "Now shoo so I can get cleaned up and dressed."

"Aww, no show for me?" Ash pouted.

The red-haired girl blushed. "Ketchum!"

"Kidding, Mist." Ash smiled before he left with his mom.

* * *

Misty came out of the adjoining bathroom wearing a blue knee-length skirt and a pink t-shirt. She slipped her feet out of the slippers and into the sandals that was brought with the clothes. The red-haired girl left her hair loose as she gathered up her clothes and the Poké Balls which would hold Togetic and Skittlez when needed. Misty left the room to find Ash waiting for her. "I think I washed a ton of dirt and dead skin cells off. Do I look thinner to you?"

"If you turn to your side, you'll disappear." Ash laughed as Misty grinned.

"I feel like a light breeze will send me flying into the wild-blue yonder." The red-haired girl sat on the bench outside the room. "I need to get my pass, don't I?"

"Nope. I've got it right here." Ash held up the card. "As long as you don't loose this, you have access to every room in this base."

Misty took the card and looked it over. "Kinda plan, ain't it?"

"Yeah, but it's the universal key here. A normal person's card only allows them access to the hospital, exits, kitchen, pool, lockers, training rooms and their rooms unless they are with someone with an all-access pass." Ash pointed to the magnetic strip on the card. "Your's has a special strip below this that's hidden. That strip allows you access to any room. You'll have to punch in the special code to gain access to the top-secret rooms, like the meeting and weapon rooms. These cards allow us to keep track of who goes where and when, so if someone goes where they're not supposed to, we'll be able to intercept them and find out why they're trying to gain access."

"Who else has these special cards?"

"The Elite Trainers, Mom, Professor Oak, Professor Birch, Professor Elm, Professor Ivy, Spencer, Molly, May's parents, Gary, Sakura, Tracey, Brock, Forrest, Brock's parents, your sisters, Brendan, May, Jessie, James, Meowth, me, you…I think that's it. Gym Leaders and other important people have one that's sorta restricted, usually to the meeting and weapon rooms, but only during certain hours." The raven-haired boy smiled. "The passes and tracking were Max's idea."

"I figured as much." Misty stood up and stretched. "Can we go? I wanna be out of here. I don't like hospitals."

"I know." The two teens left the hospital and wandered through the base. "Mist, you'll be attending meetings with me until next week. I'm going back to doing missions then, but you'll have Molly and Max with you to help explain things. Some of our missions take a few days, and most of them are recon missions. Max and Molly aren't allowed to go on most missions, so they help Tracey, Professor Oak, Professor Birch and Spencer with the Pokémon. But they're allowed to go to meetings and participate in planning the missions."

"When do you expect me to go on the missions?" Misty innocently asked. "I just want an idea of when I should be ready."

"You need the basic weapon training and basic defense classes before you can come on the dangerous missions. Other than that, within about two weeks you can start. But the choice is up to you." Ash took Misty's hand into his and gently squeezed it. "You'll be with me every time. I'd rather keep an eye on you while we're on the missions. I almost lost you when we were younger and again a few months ago. I don't want to loose you again."

"I don't mind. I'd feel more comfortable with you when we're on missions anyways. That way I'll have someone who can tell and show me what to do." The red-haired girl leaned her head on the raven-haired boy's shoulder and sighed. "Gee, my life's taken two three-hundred-and-sixty-degree turns in two and a half years."

"It's okay Mist. Things will get better. I promise." Ash let go of Misty's hand and let his arm wrap around her waist. "Once this war is over with, we can begin to have normal lives again."

"I hope so."

* * *

A few weeks later…

"Hyah!" Misty aimed a well-placed kick to the dummy's stomach, knocking it over. Ash watched from the door of the training room as Misty practiced her attacks on the dummy. The teacher of the defense class, Sarah, had been surprised and proud at Misty's quick improvement in attacks and confidence. The red-haired girl had gone from shy and scared of most males outside of her friends and family to her normal bubbly self, and she was more confident in her defensive and battling skills. The one thing Misty didn't like was carrying a gun on missions, but she understood the reason behind it.

"Not bad, Mist." Ash clapped as he walked over to Misty. The red-haired girl picked up the dummy and set it to one side of the room. "I think you're ready for the dangerous missions."

"I dunno, I mean…it's only been a few weeks since I came back, and I just started doing the missions you say aren't dangerous for me." Misty looked at her feet.

"Mist, you'll be with me, Gary and Brock, so you don't need to worry." The raven-haired boy gently lifted the red-haired girl's face. "Besides, you've improved with everything: you're one of the best dead shots; you've been able to take the strongest of us down with just barely any moves; and you're pretty much your old self, with a few exceptions." Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. "Brendan and Brock found this in the house you were in with Michael. I kept it until now, thinking that seeing this might've been too much for you."

Misty took the box and opened it up. "My ring! I thought he threw it out when he took my stuff. Michael said that the ring made him sick to think that another man had already been with me and was waiting until I was of age to marry." The red-haired girl placed the ring on her finger. "Thanks so much, Ash." Misty flung her arms around her boyfriend's neck.

"No problem, Mist." Ash wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist. He kissed her on her cheek as he pulled away from her.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Final Blow

* * *

Five months later…

"Okay, this is hopefully our last mission. We've nearly destroyed Team Rocket's forces and their bases. Now we need the coup de grace to finish them off." Lance stood in front of the assembled group, which numbered more than 200. The people at the meeting were among the best in the resistance. "Ash, Misty, Gary, Jessie and James will go after Giovanni and make sure he doesn't pull any strings in his favor. All of you will get your exact orders from your leaders. All I can say is that this mission is going to be the most dangerous yet as this is our first infiltration into headquarters."

A hand went up in the back. "Lance, sir, is there a good chance that some of us may not make it back to the base?"

The pink-haired man nodded. "Yes. That's why I'm allowing those of you who would rather stay here and coordinate the plans and relay them to each team to voice your say now." A few murmurs were heard, but no one decided to opt out of the mission. "You will be summoned when the date is decided for the mission. Dismissed."

Everyone but Ash, Misty, Gary, Tracey, Brock, May, Brendan, Max, Molly, Jessie, James, Sakura and Daisy, along with their Pokémon, stayed behind. Lance walked over to them, along with Prima, Agatha and Bruno. "I see you were right, Lance. They are the best from what our records show. And with their unique experiences with the Legendary Pokémon, I'm sure we can trust them with our special Pokémon." Agatha smiled.

Prima held a case which contained enough Poké Balls for each of the trainers. "We've already assigned Legendary Pokémon you, based on your strengths. Three of you will have three Legendaries, and three of you will have two Legendaries. The rest of you will have one Legendary Pokémon."

Everyone looked at each other with surprise. "We get to have Legendary Pokémon?"

"Yes." Bruno handed the Poké Balls to the trainers. "Max and Molly get to participate in this mission by operating a pick-up point. Max will have Jirachi while Molly gets to have Mew. Tracey, you will be given a Latios, and Daisy will have a Latias. Jessie receives a Lugia, and James, you get to have a Ho-oh. Sakura, you can have Deoxys. Brock will receive a Regirock and a Registeel. May will have a Kyogre and a Celebi. Brendan will have a Groudon and a Mewtwo. Ash, you will have Zapdos, Raikou and Lucario. Misty, you will have Articuno, Suciune and Regice. Gary, you are left with Moltres, Entei and Rayquaza."

The trainers looked at the Poké Balls. They were not normal, having instead a purple top-half with two purple spots half-way around the top from each other. There was a white 'M' just above the enlarge/release button. "Those are Master Balls. The Silph Company makes them, but there are only so many made each year. They are given only to trainers who are deemed the best, and sometimes to important people, like Gym Leaders or professors." Lance explained.

"So that was why Momma had one of these Master Balls." Misty looked hers over, and noticed one of them had the initals 'E.R.W.' scratched on the surface. "This one belonged to my mother."

Ash looked it over. "Yeah, that's your mom's initals."

"Before your mother was killed, she gave this to us for safe keeping. I'm sure Suicune will remember you." Prima smiled as Ash, Misty and Gary looked at each other.

The Master Ball rattled, and opened up. A white light took the form of a Suicune. It looked around it, then nuzzled Misty. The red-haired girl giggled as she pet the blue dog. "Hey Suicune."

Suicune then proceeded to nuzzle Ash. "Okay, enough Suicune. I know it's been forever." The aurora Pokémon nodded, than sat on its haunches. "Why do we need the Legendary Pokémon?"

"They'll be able to help and protect you in the mission. And after Team Rocket has been taken out, you'll get to keep them." Lance smiled.

"What!?" Max and Molly chorused. "We get to keep them!?"

"Yes." Agatha nodded. "When we asked them if they would mind staying with you after the mission we caught them for, they all agreed. Suicune was persistant in having you as its trainer, Mistara. I believe it's because Suicune wishes to protect you from what happened to you as a child from every happening again. Ashton, I believe it's the same with Lucario; he wishes to repay you for what you did for the one who served Sir Aaron."

Ash and Misty nodded. They knew that the Legendary Pokémon assigned to them, as well as those assigned to the rest of the group; would be loyal and obey any command given to them by their trainers.

"You can use them in League Competitions, but only one per tournament. The same goes for Pokémon Contests; only in the Grand Festival are they allowed and only one per Festival." Prima looked at the other Elite members. They all nodded, then left the room.

"So we can keep these Pokémon for as long as we live?" May looked at her Legendary Pokémon as they rested in their Master Balls.

"Yeah. It's so cool to actually have a Legendary Pokémon. And mine's a Jirachi." Max threw his Master Ball into the air and out popped a Jirachi.

The Wish Pokémon flew around Max, then looked at its surroundings. "Where am I?"

"You're near Indigo Plateau, in the Kanto Region. I'm to be your trainer for as long as one of us is alive." Max smiled as Jirachi sat on his head. "My name's Max."

"Max…that's a great name." The Wish Pokémon smiled and flew around the room. He floated near the small boy. "Do you have other Pokémon?"

"Yeah, I have a Poochyena and a Ralts. And now I've got you." Max grabbed Jirachi and gave him a nuggie. The two laughed while the others smiled.

* * *

a week later…

Misty straightened the shirt she wore. "Damn it. I just had to gain a few pounds since they measured me."

Ash entered the bathroom that was connected to their room. "Having fun?"

"No. I can't get this shirt to fit. I think I gained a few pounds since last month." The red-haired girl tried to get the shirt to smooth out. "Now if this shirt would stay still…"

The raven-haired boy smiled and held up a black shirt that was bigger. "Maybe if you wore this, you wouldn't be so easily angered?"

"Oh, thanks Ash." Misty took her shirt off and put on the one Ash brought. "Maybe now I won't worry about my stomach showing. Why do we have to wear black? It makes me think of death."

"I dunno. Probably to help us hide in the shadows." Ash smiled and pulled Misty closer to him by her waist. "Promise me that you won't leave my side for an instant during this mission?"

"Ashton Samuel Ketchum, you know me better than that." The red-haired girl smiled and kissed her boyfriend. "I'm not gonna go off on my own. Yes, I can take down a few Rockets, but I'm not stupid."

"I know, Mist." He hugged her close.

* * *

hours later…

Ash and Misty knelt behind a leafy bush, watching one of the doors to the Rocket Headquarters. Next to them was Gary, and on the other side were Jessie and James. Other teams surrounded the huge building, waiting for the signal to go in. Max and Molly were about two miles away, waiting with their Psychic Pokémon.

Misty shuddered. "I don't think things are gonna go completely our way."

Ash looked at his girlfriend with a surprised look. "I think you're right. I can sense that there's not as many people inside as we thought." He turned to face Gary. "You ready?"

"I was born ready to take out Team Rocket. The less people inside, the less we're gonna get hurt." Gary picked up his semi-automatic gun and placed a cartridge in. "Jessie, you and James need to go first to unlock the doors and turn off security. Ash, Misty and I will be right behind you after we give the signal to the team leaders."

Jessie, James and Meowth crept to the door. Using his claws, Meowth picked the lock, gaining access to the base. After ten minutes, Meowth came back out and gave the thumbs up. Ash, Misty and Gary gave a telepathic message to the team leaders (who were Psychics) that it was time.

Ash and Misty grabbed their guns and made a dash for the door after Gary. They saw a few of the teams near them make the same moves. Even though the base was pitch black and it being close to midnight outside, Ash, Misty and Gary made their way. Jessie and James were a little surprised at how Ash was able to see, but chalked it up to him being the Chosen One and also able to use the power of Aura like Sir Aaron had done.

* * *

"Duck." Ash hissed. A flamethower attack nearly missed their heads.

In front of them stood a Typhlosion, the flames on its back blazing and its teeth bared. A female Rocket stood next to the Volcano Pokémon, smirking. "Jessie, James…why am I not surprised? I always knew you two were the weakest links. When Giovanni catches wind of your betrayal, he'll kill you. Unless you beg for your pathetic lives." Her laugh was empty.

"Well, Liana, I'm sure he'll be able spare me. I am his daughter, you know." Jessie smiled. "Unlike you, I have connections in both organizations. I'm sure that James and I can get away scot-free." Jessie threw her Master Ball and Lugia came out. "Aeroblast!" A white beam left Lugia's mouth and made contact with Typhlosion. A huge cloud of smoke obscurred everyone's view. When it cleared, the Volcano Pokémon was knocked out and lying on the ground.

"Grrr…"Liana looked at them, clearly pissed off. "Typhlosion was my strongest, yet you took it out with one hit. Where in the hell did you get that…that beast?"

"My lips are sealed."

By this time, James had released his Ho-oh and was ready to attack. Meowth had his claws bared and growled at the female Rocket. Ash, Misty and Gary stood behind them, guns ready in case of an ambush or an attack from anyone. Liana's face showed that she was afraid. She recalled Typhlosion and took off down a hallway.

Jessie and James recalled their Pokémon. "Chicken." Jessie looked at the others. "Well, what are you waiting for? Giovanni won't be surprised if we just stand here looking like idiots." The group made their way down the hall. An elevator sat at the end of the hall, doors open.

"I don't think that could've been what we were expecting." Misty looked at the elevator, then at Ash. "Can you sense a trap?"

"None that I can tell, even using Aura." Ash looked at his girlfriend. "Why?"

"Just, kinda seems like it is one. Maybe I've seen too many horror movies lately." Misty shuddered.

"I think it's our best bet. And when the door opens on the top floor, we can surprised the Rockets and send them into a panic." Gary looked at the others.

"Then let's do it." Ash got in first, then the others followed.

Jessie used a card key to get the elevator moving. "The boss's office is on the top floor. This elevator opens up into a hallway with no doors except the one at the end. Usually Giovanni has two guards, but with what's going on, he has more. I think he has at least six."

"Jess is right. We need to have our guns ready to fire as soon as we open the door." James placed a clip in his gun, then checked to see if it was ready. Ash and Misty did the same.

"I still hate these things just as much as I hate killing. But if it's required…" Misty frowned.

"You don't have to kill a Rocket, just disable them so they can't fight back." Ash wrapped an arm around his girlfriend's waist and hugged her.

"I'll shoot them point-blank in the forehead. Damn scumbags deserve to either die tonight or rot in jail." Gary looked at the others. "I made a vow to get even at the ones who killed my parents, and if I take more of them, all the better."

The elevator stopped moving and the door opened. A group of Rockets turned around in surprise. A few sent out Pokémon. Ash, Misty and Gary sent out one Legendary Pokémon each, and the Rockets all began to get scared. They ordered attacks at Ash, Misty and Gary.

"Raikou, Thunder!"

"Suicune, Hydro Pump!"

"Entei, Fire Blast!"

All three counter-attacks combined to create a huge explosion that rocked the entire building. Half of the walls on both sides of the hall, as well as the ceiling, were knocked away, allowing moonlight to shine through. All of the Rockets, as well as their Pokémon, were knocked unconscious by the blast. This gave them a chance to make their way to Giovanni's office after recalling their Pokémon.

* * *

Upon entering the room, everyone went quiet. No one was in the room but them. No elites, no agents, no grunts. And no Giovanni.

"Damnit!" Ash swore as he scanned the room with his eyes. The raven-haired boy closed his eyes and concentrated. He picked up a trail that led to a hidden door. Making a signal to be quiet, Misty and Ash walked over to either side of the false wall. Misty found the switch and flipped it, the wall rotating and revealing a television screen with a red 'R' on a black background.

"Quite observant, Ash." A man stepped from the shadows. "But you can't expect everything. You're only seventeen, still a child." Giovanni smiled. "You're a very resourceful one, aren't you, tapping into your powers to sense the hidden screen. I bet you're probably wondering why you couldn't sense me?"

"Out with it, you bastard!" Ash moved to stand in front of Misty. He had his gun pointed at Giovanni.

"Didn't Delia ever tell you? I guess she wanted to forget her biggest mistake, but with you around, she couldn't." The man smiled as he noticed Jessie and James. "Ah! The traitors return. I'm not surprised. I guess you're more like your brother than you know."

Jessie frowned. "At least that makes what I'm about to do easier for me to accept."

Ash looked at Jessie with surprise, but didn't say a thing. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Giovanni. What are you gonna choose?"

"Patience, Ash. At least let me explain why I remained hidden. Your powers allow you to sense things and people, correct. It can be passed on, though very rare, often skipping several generations. And when you happen to be the Chosen One, that makes it more likely that your powers will show up." Giovanni smiled as he noticed Misty gripping Ash's shirt. "To answer why I know this. I'm your father, the man your mother hates with a passion for what happened that one night. She once trusted me with everything. The little whore should've known better. And I have some of the same powers as you, although they are not quite as honed as yours."

"Don't you ever talk about my mother like that! She's not a whore! She took responsibility for her mistake, even though she had a choice not to. Thanks to Professor Oak, I turned out a hell of a lot better than you. At least I care about those related or close to me otherwise. And I'm not as selfish and arrogant as you are." Ash placed his finger over the gun's trigger. "I have no problem with killing you right here and now for everything you've done. It'll save the League a lot of money taking care of you as you rot in jail."

"My, my. A terrible temper. Careful, Ash. You don't won't _her_ to be afraid of you, do you?" Giovanni pointed to Misty. "Poor dear already had a tough time trusting you, especially after you left her pregnant."

"I had to go with the League. They needed my help then, and Misty understood. She had to get used to being away from one of your right-hand men after he hurt her. And how in the hell did you know about our lost baby?" Ash grit his teeth.

Giovanni pointed a finger to his head. "I can read your mind, though it's sometimes foggy, and only your memories. I know that she almost died when you were little, after she lost her innocence. Took her so long to forget all that."

Misty began shaking, and everyone noticed. She closed her eyes, trying to block the memories. "SHUT UP!"

The Team Rocket leader looked surprised. He hadn't expected her outburst. "Can't stand the truth?"

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A BASTARD!" Misty clung to Ash's shirt. Her shaking made his body move. Ash knew she was at the point where nothing would stop her from striking anyone who pissed her off.

Giovanni smiled, glad to be getting under someone's skin. He chuckled. Having this kind of power thrilled him.

Gary moved over to stand in front of Misty, blocking her view of Giovanni, as well as his of her. "If you don't shut up, you'll be sorry." Gary also aimed his gun at the Rocket leader. "I've also got no hesitation in killing you if you piss me off further. And their both right, you're a bastard for everthing you've done. If you really think that you're gonna escape without a fight, forget it. This building is swarming with the best in the resistance."

Even though Giovanni's face could normally remain void of emotion, it paled when he heard Gary's last sentence. Everyone saw this and knew that he was beginning to seriously doubt his chances of winning. "What would happen if I surrendered?"

"Justice. We won't kill you unless you provoke us to do so." Jessie smiled. "Ultimately, the choice is up to you. We can't force you either way. You give in, a jury will decide your fate. Resist, and we'll decide it."

Giovanni smiled as he raised his hands. "I have one more question. Do you have any way to keep me from using my powers?"

Ash pulled a needle out from a pouch hanging from his belt. "This stuff pretty much left Misty weaker than a normal person. I'm sure it'll work as well on you, though it will be hard to determine until we give it to you. Care for a demonstration, _Dad_?" Giovanni's face fell at these words.

"I can tell when the odds are against me." He stepped towards Ash slowly, making sure that he didn't cause anyone to attack him. When he got close enough, he made a swipe at the hand which held the syringe. The needle fell, breaking when it hit the floor. The liquid inside spilled. "But that doesn't mean I give up." Giovanni swung at Ash, knocking him and Misty to the floor. Ash quickly grabbed Misty and turned them so they both hit the floor instead of Ash landing on top of Misty.

Gary jabbed his gun into Giovanni's ribs. He pulled the trigger, lodging a few bullets into the man in front of him. Giovanni pulled back, placing a hand to his side. "Guess you forgot that we are standing here." Jessie and James also aimed their guns, ready to fire at their former boss. All of the group's Legendary Pokémon came out of their Poké Balls, along with Pikachu and Togetic. Giovanni looked around him and frowned.

"I'd think about my next move real carefully if I were you." Misty looked up from where she sat on the floor. "Like Gary said, this place has the best of the resistance, along with quite a few Legendary Pokémon. If I remember correctly, that's over two hundred people and at least twenty-two Legendaries, maybe more. And that means the odds are sure as hell not in your favor." Misty reached for her gun, and Ash did the same.

Giovanni looked at his son with surprise. "I'm surprised you're not trying to kill your old man. You're definitely your mother's son, though I bet Professor Oak also influenced you as well when you were younger."

"Professor Oak is more of a father to me than you are because he treated me as his own son. You're only my father because of what my mother did when she was younger. And I thank who-ever is listening that Mom kept her maiden name and gave it to me instead of yours, Giovanni Saksaki." Ash stood and helped his girfriend to her feet.

Brock, May and Brendan silently crept into the room. Brock held a different gun than everyone else and aimed it at Giovanni's neck. Misty gave a slight nod and Brock fired the gun. A dart hit Giovanni in the back of the neck and moments later he slumped to the floor. The older trainer smiled in relief in seeing the others were safe.

"Thanks, Brock." Ash, Misty and Gary responded at the same time, causing everyone to laugh.

"Guess I was right for once." Brock walked over to the Team Rocket Leader and frowned. "Who shot him?"

"I did. He knocked the needle with the power-stopping stuff out of Ash's hand, and then knocked him and Misty to the floor. It was an automatic reaction." Gary looked at Brock. "I'd do it again if that asshole ever touches Ash or Misty, or even looks at them wrong way or says the wrong thing. Ash is almost a brother to me, and Misty is like a sister. There is nothing I wouldn't do for them, nothing."

Brock nodded. He felt the same way towards Ash. "C'mon, let's get this guy out of here." Brock, Gary, Ash, Brendan and James picked up the unconscious Giovanni and carried him out to the elevator.

May looked at Misty. "Are you okay, Misty? Did he say something that struck a nerve?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. I'll tell you later and when Ash says it's okay to. It has to do with him, so I don't think it's my place to tell you right now." Misty smiled. "It's nothing to be worried about, though." Both girls, along with Jessie, left the office.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

Aftermath and Surprises

Misty sat on the edge of the bed she shared with Ash. Her damp hair smelled of green apples, and in her hands was the Master Ball which held Suicune. On her arms were a few bruises from where she fell earlier. "How could Mama ever like a guy as evil as Giovanni?"

"I was young and foolish, Misty. I had never been in a serious relationship with any guy before, so I didn't have a clue of what to do. I just let him take the lead." Delia stood in the doorway. She crossed the room and sat on the bed, next to the red-haired girl. "I will admit that it's one of the worst choices I ever made when I let Giovanni sleep with me. Lizzie found out a few days after and she did everything to help me, which I returned when I took you away from your father and sent you to live with your sisters. The only thing I'm glad about is that he never got abusive or possessive, and that the few nights we spent in bed together gave me Ash."

Misty nodded. "I'm glad to. If I hadn't befriended Ash when we were little, who knows where I'd be. And the fact that Momma and you were best friends too, that helped a lot when my dad hurt me. I always knew I was welcome to hide out at your house." The red-haired girl wrapped her arms around the brown-haired woman. "I bet it was hard after you moved to Pallet Town. Up until then, Momma and you were always so close to each other and always saw each other everyday. It was so hard for me to adjust to being away from Ash."

"It was hard, but I was glad that you and Lizzie were safe now." Delia hugged Misty. "And I'm just as glad that you and Ash are together. You know, Lizzie predicted that someday the two of you would be a couple."

"Momma knew?" Misty looked at Delia. She giggled. "I guess Ash and I were the last ones to realize how much we loved each other." The brown-haired woman nodded.

A knock on the doorway brought both of the women's attention to the door. Professor Oak, Gary and Ash stood in the doorway. "Are we interrupting anything?"

"No, just some girl-to-girl talk." Delia stood up. She walked over to Professor Oak and kissed him on the cheek. "I think we'd better leave the kids alone. They've had a long night, Samuel."

"Hold on, Delia." Professor Oak reached into his lab coat pocket and pulled out a box. "Delia, I've known you for most of your life, and helped you raise Ash from the time he was born. I don't think this can wait anymore." The professor opened the box and pulled out a simple diamond ring. "Delia Ketchum, will you marry me?"

"Oh Samuel…of course." Delia smiled as Professor Oak placed the ring on her finger. "But why did you wait so long?"

"Delia, you know me. Sometimes it takes a wake-up call like this civil war to make me rethink my priorities." The professor leaned down to kiss the brown-haired woman on the cheek.

Ash, Misty and Gary looked at each other and smiled. They had always known that the two adults had always liked each other. "Alright. You two scram and leave Ash and Misty alone. Continue showing each other your affections someplace else." Gary smiled as he looked back at Ash and Misty. "And you two have some serious talking to do." Gary, Delia and Professor Oak left, closing the door as they went.

Ash ran a hand through his long, raven-black hair. It was long enough that he sometimes pulled it back into a ponytail, often when he was doing the little bit of deskwork required of him to keep the operation going. "Geeze, and I thought your family was a bit dysfunctional. My dad was the ringleader of Team Rocket, and I have a half-sister that I used to fight with almost on a daily basis." Ash sat on the bed and placed an arm around his girlfriend's waist.

"Hey, my dad was just as much of an asshole as yours. At least your dad wasn't a child molester." Misty shivered at the memory of her father. "But now Kanto and Johto are free from Team Rocket, and we can try and have a normal life."

"I like the sound of that." Ash kissed Misty on the lips. "Maybe in a couple of years we can get married, start a family, maybe run a Gym in Pallet Town if we feel like it."

Misty giggled. "As long as the Gym has a pool for my Pokémon and me to swim in during the winter, I won't mind running one." She fell over backwards and sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if the fates like toying with us and making us hate what life has delt us so far."

Ash smiled as he reclined next to the red-haired girl. "But there are some things that aren't so bad…" The raven-haired boy gently kissed Misty on the neck, making her giggle again.

"Ash…please, cut it out." Misty moved and sat up, leaning against the wall on the other side of the bed. "It's just…some memories were brought back and I feel kinda…well, you know, five years old all over again. Don't worry, I'll be back to normal before we go to bed tonight." The red-haired girl smiled and looked at her boyfriend.

The raven-haired boy shrugged. "Mist, you know I won't mind if you don't feel up to, you know. Yes, I enjoy it, but I'm not like Brock. I can go a day or two between rounds, a few weeks or months if need be." Even though Ash wasn't looking at Misty, he knew she was feeling a bit better about the subject. It had always been a slightly touchy subject with her, but Ash was used to it after seventeen years of knowing her.

"I know Ash, but thanks for the reminder." Misty smiled and began to fiddle with her nails. "Ash, if I'm pregnant again, would you still support me?"

Ash turned to look at her. "Are you pregnant?"

Misty nodded. "I don't know what caused it this time. But when I went to Atsuko to see why I gained weight, she made me do the mandatory pee in the cup, as well as draw blood. The results came back saying that I'm pregnant. I didn't want to tell you before the mission because I didn't think you'd let me go."

"Mist, I understand why. Hell, if I was in your shoes, I'd've done the same thing." Ash reached over to his girlfriend and pulled her onto his lap. "We're gonna tell Mom, but she'll understand, Mist. She'll think this is great."

"I hope it's a boy." Misty smiled as she snuggled into Ash's arms.

"I don't care. As long as this one survives and is healthy." The raven-haired boy kissed his girlfriend on the top of her head. "Mmm…green apples. Do you ever change your shampoo?"

"Sometimes." Misty giggled. "But yeah, as long as this baby survives, I really don't care." She turned to face her boyfriend. "I know this might be premature, but have you thought of any names for kids?"

"Kinda. I promised to name my first daughter after Mom, and my first son after my wife's father, or child's maternal grandfather if I'm not married to the mother."

"How about Philip Jordan for a boy and Saralyn Delia for a girl?" Misty smiled.

"Sounds perfect, my mizuhana." Ash smiled as Misty giggled at the nickname he had given her a long time ago, back when they were in preschool.

Gary looked at man in the cell. How could that man tell his employees to do what they did? All the deaths and other crimes committed over how many years? "You're gonna pay for everything you and your organization did. That includes the death of my parents, Misty's mom, and anything else you did to anyone I consider family."


	15. Epilogue

Chapter 15:

Returning To Normal

one week later in Pallet Town…

Brock hurried around Professor Oak's large kitchen, making a huge breakfast. He was hoping to have everything ready before the others woke up.

Ash and Misty were the ones who came in first. "Don't be surprised if Mom and Professor Oak decide to come in late."

"Why?" The older teen turned to face the younger ones. "Is one of them sick?"

"They're both lovesick." Ash and Misty replied at the same time, then giggled.

Brock raised an eyebrow and grinned. "So they finally got together after how many years?"

"Mama deserves to be happy. I don't know how long she's waited." Misty set the table with help from Ash.

"I'm surprised, but then again I'm not. Your mom always came to the tournaments with the professor, and you can always find the two of them together."

"Like in Greenfield and on Shamouti Island. Both times Mom was there." Ash grinned.

After an hour or so, everyone was in the big kitchen/dining room. Brock smiled as they ate just about everything he set in front of them.

Misty nudged Ash, then smiled and tilted her head towards the rest of the group. Ash stood up and hit his fork on the glass in front of him. "Um…normally, I hate announcing things this way, but since everyone important to us is here, I guess we'd better get it out now." He held a hand out to Misty, who took his hand and stood up. "Mist?"

"I…I'm pregnant." Misty blushed as the others stared. "Atsuko says that I'm about a month along, and the mission we just went on hasn't caused me to miscarry."

Delia smiled and took Professor Oak's hand. "Samuel and I have an announcement to make ourselves." They both stood up. "Samuel has asked me to marry him, and I'm also pregnant as well."

"Just what we need. More Ketchums and Oaks running around." Tracey grinned. "I thought it was enough with Ash and Gary, now we're gonna have two more?"

"Oh shut up, Tracey. I'm surprised that you haven't gotten Daisy pregnant yet." Gary rammed his elbow into the artist next to him. "It explains why your shorts go past your knees. Gotta hide the evidence."

"Ow." Tracey blushed. Daisy hid her face behind her hands.

Violet and Lily grinned. "Daisy, what haven't you been telling us? C'mon, tell us the juicy details!"

"It's none of your business." Daisy replied to the twins. "What Tracey and I do behind closed doors is our business, not everyone's."

Misty smiled as she leaned on Ash. "Sweet normalcy."

* * *

Ahh…the end of this fanfic. Not too bad for something that's taken me close to three years to write, edit, rewrite, edit and finally post. I'm working on a sequel, but don't expect it for some time. I've got a ton of stuff to do after graduation, and even then I might not be able to write as much as I want. 


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